Yes, in some sense it will. I agree that it will certainly give Linux more visibility. I do not however, feel that this will do much other than show that Linux is good for 3rd world areas. This is the wrong message.

Speaking on the final day of Red Hat’s annual user summit here, Negroponte told an audience of Linux enthusiasts and technology professionals that the OLPC project will lead to mass adoption of the operating system, if the software that powers it is efficient and usable enough.

“One of the side effects is that it will boost worldwide consumption of Linux on the desktop so incredibly that it will be on par with where it is with servers,” he said. “We need your support not to make it overweight and hard to use like all the others are.”

The One Laptop per Child project aims to develop a portable PC for use by children in the developing world for around $100. The price has risen since the plan was first announced to about $135 to $140, according to Negroponte.

“It is a floating price. We are a nonprofit organization. We have a target of $100 by 2008, but probably it will be $135, maybe $140. That is a start price, but what we have to do is with every release make it cheaper and cheaper–we are promising that the price will go down,” Negroponte said….. Source: News.com

Tags: linux, nonprofit organization, worldwide consumption